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I need some suggestions, quick.

I'm off to the first BBQ competition for the season tomorrow, and desert is one of the items on my list. I'm going to make a yeast raised coffee cake that usually does pretty well for me. It's rather unique. My problem is that submission is in a standard styrofoam box, in which the slices will be rather tight. I have no idea how to garnish. A good percentage of points are based on presentation and I'm drawing a blank. I did the cake a few years ago (took 2nd to a professional chef) but we could pick our own container. I used some green royal icing and fresh nasturtiums on the plate.... but I have no idea what to do in a tight container.'

I've tried making individual ones, but unless it's a big muffin tin, it doesn't work out. When you roll up the cake, it invariably gets large air pockets which add to the appearance/uniqueness. Cake has raisins and nuts in it. Hmmm. I do have a bunch of glazed walnuts that I made this past weekend... might be better as the bed than just chopped walnuts.

Keep the garnishes breakfast-related? How about making some roses out of bacon that's cooked a little short of crispness? Could also carve up some fancy orange segments. I like the idea of a coffee mousse that was posted above!

Coffee cake looks delicious, but if you are going to a competition, I agree that presentation needs to be in the cake form and not dressing. Nastursiums are someone 90's, and as a judge I would not give you points by throwing a few flowers on it.

Do your recipe in a custom mold you can have done at any specialty shop.
make a shape of a coffee cup, fill the center with a chocolate and vanilla swirl softer version to give the look of a mocha or coffe drink, top with powered sugar, then stick a dark chocolate swizzle stick in it and take that prize from that prof. chef. :smile1: